Victorian Council for Civil Liberties Inc

Liberty Victoria traces its roots to 1936. For more than eighty years we have advocated for civil liberties and human rights. These are spelled out in the United Nations international human rights treaties, agreed to by Australia. We speak out when such rights and freedoms are threatened by governments or other organisations. Assaults on civil liberties and human rights by Commonwealth and State governments in recent years make our work more important than ever. We examine proposed laws and policies that may erode these liberties and rights. We believe that Commonwealth and State legislation should conform fully with Australia s international human rights obligations and to rights embedded in common law. We do not take a party political stance, but the issues we tackle are often political. We advance our positions to whichever political party is in government and also to those in opposition and the independents. We pride ourselves on our independent, considered and carefully presented positions. By mentoring students and young professionals we develop the next generation of human rights advocates through the Rights Advocacy Project. As a voluntary organisation Liberty Victoria relies on the knowledge, skill and commitment of our members, fundraising and the support and participation of the wider Victorian and Australian community. The range of programs undertaken in the 20232024 financial year to achieve these aims is documented in our Annual Report.